Love's First Light
by Restless Abhorsen
Summary: A collection of short stories and one-shots featuring Silas and Caoihme, and their adventures together along with their group of friends as they try to save the world on the edge. Set in a unique world following 5ed. D&D rules. Stories may be non-sequential. Rated M for language, violence, and adult themes/activities.


The Meadow

A Caoihme and Silas short story

* * *

Tonight needed to be perfect.

Silas had planned for it for a long time, and now that it was here the nervousness and suspense might just do him in. When it came to picking the setting for his proposal it was an easy decision; he picked a small glade he frequently visited as a child. To him it was a nice, quiet clearing to sit and meditate in; but he hoped to Caoihme it would be beautiful as well as memorable after tonight.

There was a creek flowing through a break in the trees coming from the mountains that kept cool well into the summer. The short waterfalls along its path created a soft chorus with the warm spring breeze that carried through the leaves, bringing with it the faint smell of budding flowers into the rolling meadow.

Silas came to the clearing early to make sure nothing unpleasant had taken up residence in the years he's traveled. Needing to burn off some of the nervous energy he walked over to some white trillium and lilies. The flowers wouldn't normally bloom for another week or two; given the late start to spring this year, but he wouldn't be much of a druid if he couldn't encourage a few flowers to bloom a little early.

The plants took a little coaxing to blossom, not unlike Caoihme he thought with a smile, and a very small application magic and charm for them to see the need to show their true selves, also much like Caoihme. Gathering up the flowers and stalks he started weaving them together, making a simple circlet of white and pink petals.

He had plenty of time to calm down as he waited for Caoihme. The full moon was three days away so it would be large and beautiful tonight, and he wanted it high in the air as she entered the glade. It was practical and whimsical at the same time; the pale light from the moon would fill the area giving them plenty of light to see by, and everything would be bathed in its soft glow adding a feeling of agelessness to the moment.

At least that is what Silas was hoping for.

It was a few hours past sundown, his messenger should be leading Caoihme into the clearing at any moment. She and the others were staying in the village at the edge of the forest while Silas visited his parents and participated in the annual gathering for Svardland's druids who were part of Circle of the Moon.

Every year on the first full moon following the spring equinox the Circle gathered together to share stories, information, and join in a mock hunt. The hunt was typically held at the end as the grand event where everyone would take turns shifting into the forms of animals and act as predators and prey, seeing who the greatest hunters and most cunning escape artists are.

The rest of the group agreed to make the side trip to the village of Hearthstone to let Silas loose in the woods to do his "druidy business" for the week. It was a great chance for Silas to see his parents and introduce his friends to them, especially to gauge their opinions of Caoihme.

Living in the Tangles and constantly visiting the village at its edge had luckily left his parents more open-minded to "city dwellers" then other, more typical druids; so his parents were warm and welcoming to the group. His father much more so than his mother, but that is how they had always been. Silas' father had been the one to visit Hearthstone the most, usually spending a week or two every few months to stay in touch with its residents and to trade and gather gossip.

His mother typically only visited when his father could not, although she respected people most saw her as cold and taciturn, some would even say predatory. It was during these visits that Silas would visit and learn from the village's wizard, studying magic and refining the medicinal knowledge he gained from his mother.

Silas had sent a family friend to pick up Caoihme and guard her on her path into the woods. Grey was a large, and now older, timber wolf that his mother had found and raised; named simply for the color of his fur. Later Silas' mother and Grey became companions in patrolling and guarding the forest, nearly always together.

Silas had grown up with the wise wolf as though he was just another member of the family. Grey was the first animal Silas learned to speak to with magic, much to the chagrin to the young teen once he learned how intelligent the wolf actually was. Silas was much more careful about what he said around any animal after that.

Grey was amused when Silas came to him seeking a favor, but he was willing to do it and even agreed to have a spell placed upon him to allow him to speak with Caoihme. Silas knew she was a powerful sorceress and could easily handle herself if something should happen, but Grey would make sure that they wouldn't cross paths with anything dangerous on their way to the meadow.

Nothing bad can happen tonight, it could ruin everything.

The moonlight dimmed as a cloud blew across the sky leaving the meadow dark except for the meager starlight. Silas stood with the finished circlet in his hands and cast a spell on it. The spell was a small one; meant to keep the flower petals from drying out or falling off, along with something special which he would have to explain to Caoihme when they talked.

The wind stirred as the glow from his spell casting faded, and with it came a whispering from the trees that a person was approaching. Silas had forgotten what it was like to be in a forest that knew you and accepted you. He had spent the first nineteen years of his life in the Tangles, being raised and trained in the druidic arts by his parents, literally being one with this forest.

He may have been gone for five years but the trees knew him and watched over him as he had once watched over them, and probably will again. Along with the breeze the clouds moved; once again flooding the area with a soft, white light.

At the edge of the light Silas saw Grey sitting on his haunches, looking very satisfied with himself. Walking over to him, Silas quickly cast another spell allowing him to speak with Grey.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She is just back there, in the shadows," Grey replied in his gravelly voice. "She seems to wish to remain unseen although I do not know why. She just spent the last hour following me in a dark forest to get here. I suspect the fact I could not actually converse with her has unnerved her a little."

"Dammit, you're right. I should have used a different spell so you could talk with her, not just share a message."

Grey chuckled at the young man's outward musings. "Worry not Little Leaf, you live and you learn. She trusts you and came out here anyway. Also I would be watchful out here tonight, there are not many dangers about but you never know what the Tangles will throw at you," he warned, looking side to side, his nose twitching as though he smelled something he didn't like.

"Thank you Grey. You helped make tonight special for us." Silas said, truly grateful, although he glared at the wolf for using his childhood name.

As the wolf stepped into the shadows of the trees he turned his head, eyes shining with reflected light. "You are welcome young one. I'll have you know you picked a good one."

Silas smiled and stepped into trees to find Caoihme. "Caoihme it's safe to come out here." He called extending his hand to her shrouded form about ten feet back in the trees.

"Are you sure?" she asked incredulously, unable to hear the silent communication between the wolf and man. "I stumbled through these backwater woods for hours, following some oversized dog that somehow speaks but only with a recorded message, only to find my tree-hugging boyfriend in the middle of nowhere." She took his hand and they stepped into the moonlit meadow together.

She had chosen to wear her black cloak with the hood pulled all the up, fully obscuring her face in its shadow. Her cloak seemed to absorb the light around it, not in a malevolent sort of way, more like it was simply reluctant to let go of the shadows as they walked to the creek in the center of the clearing.

The moon was finally overhead and caused the stream to glow as though it flowed with liquid silver. "Wow, this place is beautiful!" she breathed out after looking around for a full minute.

"Glad you think so," he said grinning, "I was worried about what you'd think of it."

"Why were you worried about that?"

"I don't know," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I guess it's because this place is important to me. I'd always come here for peace and quiet and to meditate while growing up. I always felt closest to the forest here."

"Well I'm glad you decided to share it with me," She said looking up shyly. "Now what's with the messenger dog?" she continued, returning to her more typical sarcastic tones.

"Grey is a family friend, he's also a wolf not a dog..."

"Same family" she interrupted.

"...And I wanted you to make it here safely," he finished ignoring her barb. "Why are you in your cloak? It isn't cold out tonight."

"Well, when a wolf tells you to get ready and to follow him into a dark, unknown forest you don't really know what to expect."

"Yeah, I could have been clearer in my message. Sorry about that," he said reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

She giggled and poked him in the chest, "Yeah, you could have treeboy." She'd never tell him, but she loved the way he got whenever he was flustered. It made it so much easier to tease him.

He reached up to grab the sides of her hood and gently let it down. She let her hair hang loose tonight instead of putting it up in a ponytail as usual, and so its gentle waves cascaded down to her shoulders. Being Mordrin her face was, of course, an extremely pale white. But tonight, in the light of the moon, her skin was gleaming like alabaster, and her hair shined like marble.

All together it had the effect Silas wanted. She shined with beauty as she stood there looking ageless and perfect, almost fey, in the moon's radiance.

"Come on, let's set that cloak aside." He said quietly as he ran his hands over her shoulders to reach the clasp in the front. Lifting the edges of the sable cloak Silas spun it around her back and folded it up setting it down by his pack on a rock near the creek. Turning back around he finally got a look at how she dressed tonight as she stepped past him to stand at the edge of the water.

Caoihme typically wore simple pants and shirts for travel, never baggy but loose for the comfort of riding or walking all day in. Tonight the style wasn't much different; she wore her traveling boots that reached up to the middle of her calves, soft brown pants that had to be tailored to her as they clung to her shapely hips and legs.

The shirt she chose was simply a white shirt that buttoned up the front, and it was simply unfair as it too had to be tailor to fit her. It accentuated her narrow waist with a slight flare in the bust to allow space for the swell of her breasts.

Silas' mage mentor from Hearthstone, being the perverted old man that he was, had said many times that there was a shortage of perfect breasts in the world; and Silas was grateful Caoihme had one such pair.

He was struck motionless as she stood there outlined by the glowing creek. She turned around to face him again, cocking her hip to the right, as she always did, and leaned forward just a little, folding her arms across her chest; not so subtly pushing up and drawing his attention to her cleavage.

She had left the top three buttons undone, allowing for a scandalous amount of skin to show, and yet the way she stood, it didn't come off as garish, it was simply inviting and perfectly tempting.

Or maybe it was the fact that he knew that Caoihme was actually a classy woman; as well as a smartass. Either way it prevented her outfit from being tawdry, even though he knew that she was perfectly aware of what she was doing.

Caoihme stood there for a moment, soft laughter shaking her shoulders, as she took the time to evaluate how Silas was dressed as he ogled her.

Honestly, she thought the best part of having such a great pair of boobs was being able to mesmerize men, and without wasting her magic to do so. Of course it was also nice to know that Silas would simply snap out of it if she spoke to him, albeit a little bemused to be caught staring. So she stood quietly, drinking him in.

He wasn't dressed differently from what he usual wore. The dark green shirt looked new though; he always chose to wear greens and browns to help blend in with the trees and grass, despite the fact he couldn't sneak around to save his life. At least when he wore green tunics they made his eyes stand out, which Caoihme enjoyed staring into whenever he wasn't focused on hers.

She was still a little self conscious when he stared into her eyes, and believed he was lying whenever he said that her natural white eyes were more beautiful than the blue or green eyes she had whenever she wore her magical glasses or contacts for her disguises. His leather jerkin also looked, or rather sounded, new as it still had a slight creak when he waved his arms over head to remove her cloak.

She smiled, all-in-all he looked sharp; apparently he took the time to see the barber in town earlier today as his hair and beard were freshly clipped but left close to their typical length. After a moment Caoihme cleared her throat slightly louder than she needed to, causing Silas to jump and then blush as he realized just how much he was staring.

She smirked at his reaction and said, "Getting a little distracted aren't you treeboy?"

Not to be outdone so easily he simply gave a lopsided grin right back at her as he walked over to stand in front of her, stopping just close enough that his powerful chest would brush with hers if she breathed too deeply. Even though they've been open about their attraction and were, in fact, comfortable around each other for months now this move still caused a hitch in her breathing.

He was normally so quiet and reserved that this act of assertiveness stirred her up, making her keenly aware of the warm night air. So warm in fact that she had to resist the urge to step back or fan her shirt.

He did this all while wearing that damnable grin that always seemed to disarm her. "Well, yes, I do seem to be distracted," he said, barely loud enough to be heard over the bubbling of the creek. "I seem to be distracted by the vision of perfect beauty in front of me."

She raised her hand to cover her mouth as she snorted at the corny line, and couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Come on, that was horrible, and I clearly set you up for calling me a vile temptress, or demonic whore, or something else along those lines."

With her defenses now completely down he swooped in the kill.

His smile grew and his eyes had a defiant, mischievous glint in them. "Or maybe I'm distracted by your oh-so-tight clothing bring to mind the memory of the first time I saw you naked," he said raising his right hand to caress her neck.

Her laughter stopped dead, her mouth caught open, and speechless; which was nearly impossible for anyone to achieve when verbally sparring with Caoihme. Now it was his turn to laugh as they stood there beneath the light of the moon.

* * *

That was a fateful day in their relationship; it happened just over two years ago now. The party was fleeing through the tunnels beneath the town of Baspiah after it had come under attack by beings who could only be demons falling from the sky. The creatures were attacking the town, killing anyone and anything in their path.

After stumbling through the tunnels for a few days the party found a room with an offshoot that seemed to stop the light from their torches mere feet into its opening. Even those with dark vision, which was everyone but Silas and a woman from the town, couldn't see past the dark curtain.

Narek, Baggi, Billy, and Silas had all gone into the chamber to explore; leaving Caoihme and Herrecktor to guard the woman and her baby in the tunnel that they had come in through.

After searching for a minute Narek decided to throw a rock down the tunnel, which stuck to the darkness with a ripple, and caused it to coalesce on the floor as shuffling puddle. With the removal of the ooze from the tunnel there was a loud splat on the ground in front of Caoihme and Herrecktor as another puddle fell from the ceiling.

Silas then remembered, belatedly, that oozes were cave dwellers who hunted by ambushing their prey and dissolving them with a strong acid.

Then, the pandemonium started; everyone started shooting bolts or arrows at them, and the spellcasters tried to use their cantrips, but it all proved to be of minimal effect. Together they were able to wear down the creatures, and they were almost finished when one got close enough to Caoihme to lash out with several tentacles that sprung from within its body. Most of these appendages only slapped across her chest but a couple wrapped around her arms and legs.

Luckily Narek was there to strike at the ooze with his claws, killing it, but also being burned in the process. As the dead ooze let go of Caoihme her clothes fell the stone floor, having been thoroughly eaten away and left as shreds, revealing the horrible acid burns all across her now naked form.

At this point Caoihme was extremely pissed at the oozes as well as utterly mortified at her state of undress. Despite this she stalked past Narek and Silas to find the other ooze on the far side of the chamber, a look of pure murder on her face; which the men were, honestly, having a little trouble focusing on.

Forgoing modesty she raised her arms, fire coiling around her wrists and hands, her eyes glowing with a white light that only seemed to occur when she tapped deeply into the power within her veins. For a moment the fire seemed leap off her hands, fighting with a life of its own, and almost hit Narek causing the man-cat to yowl and jump back. But with a deep breath Caoihme reined in the flames and then with a yell of pure rage she threw her arms forward launching three lances of pure fire which stuck the ooze.

Narek turned to Silas and asked, "Doesn't she usually say something before doing that?"

"Yeah," he answered with a slight huff of disbelief, "that spell has an incantation component for it to work, and she just pulled it off with nothing more than a shout and raw emotion!"

Looking back between Caoihme and the ooze in bewilderment everyone was startled as they realized the ooze was still trying to reach Baggi and Billy whom were closest to the creature.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Caoihme shouted as she panted, trying to recover her breath. "Just die damn you!"

This time she took a big step forward, bracing herself, and punched toward the ooze activating the ring on her right hand. The ring flared with light and launched a blue orb of force that quickly took the shape of a charging ram. The ram's head struck the ooze in its center of mass lifting it off the ground and splattering its remains all across the back wall of the room. Finally silence descended over the group as they tried to process what had happened.

Silas turned to speak with Narek, "Gather everyone together and check your gear. I'll go heal Caoihme and be back to take a look at your claws in a minute. Okay?"

Narek nodded as he turned towards the others now gathering near the entrance. Silas continued towards the center of the room where Caoihme had slumped on the ground sitting on her knees in exhaustion, or maybe exasperation, he couldn't quite tell. Removing his cloak, Silas cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned her head towards him and looked as though she didn't recognize him for a moment.

"Here," he said as he draped his cloak across her back and shoulders, blushing a little, as he couldn't stop from thinking how perfectly her hair fell down her back, "you look like you can use this more than me."

"Thanks," she whispered, her cheeks darkening to gray as she too started to blush now that she had time to think about what had happened, "I'll try not to get any 'filthy demon-spawn blood' on it." She finished with a dark chuckle.

Silas waved a hand as he knelt down in front of her. "Don't worry about that. You look like you got hurt pretty bad, and I'm sure you want to get dressed as soon as possible, but would you let me handle your wounds first? I'll use magic, not the healer's kit that way you avoid infections and the pain will go away quicker. I also won't be forced to touch you, especially around your delicate areas." He explained with a wink, trying to tease her and get her feeling a little more normal.

Caoihme looked back up at him, tossing her head back to get the hair out of her face and stuck out her tongue. "I don't believe you could pay me enough to let you touch me that way treeboy." She claimed, regaining an air of feigned haughtiness.

"I don't believe you could pay _me_ enough to touch you like that she-demon."

"You're an ass." She said with a faint smile, although the pain worsened and brought a few tears to her eyes. A small crack in the mask she wore around everyone.

After the banter they both chose to simply remain quiet as Silas went to work. He found it hard to control his blushing as he cast his spells and then held his hands an inch from her skin. Granted the burns looked terrible and must have hurt, he was quite impressed that Caoihme had remained in the fight and even now showed great composure through the pain.

Her wounds weren't life threatening, but still she could have been yelling and snapping at him to be faster. Instead she just sat there gently moving his cloak this way and that as he moved from her arms to her legs and lastly, and most embarrassingly, her stomach and breasts.

Caoihme took the time to focus on calming her breathing, and tried not to dwell on the man who knelt inches away, waving his hands up and down her exposed body. After that filthy ooze attacked her all she could feel was pain and rage. She knew in the back of her mind she should be embarrassed, she was aware that her clothes fell away, but all she wanted at that moment was revenge.

As what was left of the ooze hit the wall, all the rage melted away, leaving her with nothing but the pain, the cold, and the embarrassment. And so all she felt she could do was to sink to the floor and sit there.

She was stunned when Silas set his cloak on her shoulders, but she was grateful for the concealing garment. She was also pleasantly surprised at how warm it was, probably because he just finished running around and fighting in it. As the warmth seeped into her, she took a deep breath drawing in his scent that lingered in the cloak, she found it oddly comforting; like dried leaves, fresh earth, and a little wood smoke despite the week or so of traveling they have done.

All of this was a very kind gesture coming from Silas, seeing how as they had been at each others' throats the entire time. She knew that he thought healing was his duty, despite the threats to leave anyone who annoyed him high and dry, but sharing his cloak and trying to comfort her by talking; that was...exceptional...coming from him.

As he cast his spells she continued to sit, covering as much of herself as she could, despite the small temptation to tease him more and see how much darker she could make him blush. She watched closely, interested in his spell work, as well as making sure he didn't take any liberates as his hands glided over her body. There was a soft, golden light between his hands when he finished casting. He would then set his hands over a wound, and let them hover as her muscles and skin restored themselves.

The glow was nice and warm, and would instantly take the pain away. Through it all she watched his face soften in the glow of the magic, causing her to try and sort out her current thoughts and emotions about this backwater man. Of course his embarrassment at the situation was amusing enough to cover her own; that is, until it came time to work on her breasts and that's when the tables turned on her.

As he finished healing her stomach he looked up, blushing furiously and stated, "Okay, I'm going to turn my head away and hold my hands about where they should be, and you're going to lean in until you're an inch away and then move back and let me know when you're done healing."

She nodded her head, not quite up to trusting her voice. And so Silas closed his eyes and turned his head bringing up his hands. Caoihme continued to sit for a moment, and then sighed before getting up on her knees and leaning in towards his open palms. She got close enough to feel the warmth of the spell and then went still until her skin had healed. Sitting back down she brought the cloak back across her front and said, "Ok, I'm done."

"Are you covered again?"

"Yeah, you can open your eyes."

He peeked out the corner of his eyes before putting his arms down. With a push off the ground he stood up and stretched, a little cramped from squatting for several minutes. Looking down at Caoihme he said, "Glad you're better, I'm going to go check on Narek and the others. I'll send Baggi over with your pack so you can get changed in relative privacy."

With that he stepped around her and proceeded to walk away. Before he got too far Caoihme turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Silas?"

"Hmm?" he said turning his head to look over his shoulder.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"No problem," he replied, turning back to the group as he chuckled, "you're not half bad looking for the spawn of a demon."

"Ass!" she called out as she fought to control the blush creeping up on her again.

* * *

Back in the forest the moon had risen to its apex. The couple in the meadow stood together, bathed in pale light, lost in their memories and lost in each other.

"That was a good day." He said with a smile, which caused Caoihme to snort and roll her eyes. Silas raised his left hand to Caoihme's neck, mirroring the one he placed there earlier. Softly stroking her jaw, he leaned down and brought their lips together.

As they shared their kiss Silas noticed he could smell something wafting in the warm night air that he hadn't noticed earlier. It was pleasant; flowery, with an under tone of spice. As their lips parted he decided to plant another kiss on her neck before she could move, causing her to gasp again. Yep, that smell was definitely coming from her. Caoihme cocked her head to the side as he straightened up from kissing her. "What was that for?"

"What's the perfume for?" He countered.

"What, I can't decide to smell nice just because?"

"Let's see; you're wearing special perfume, dressed in clothing that displays your wonderful figure, and it seems you're trying to flirt with me." With each point he raised a finger as if ticking them off a list. "I'd dare to say that you are trying to seduce me madam, or at least con me out of my coin."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Her eyes growing mischievous as she ran a hand down his arm feeling the hard muscle beneath his shirt. "I'd dare to say you are doing the same by having me whisked off into the night to a moonlit meadow; just to get close to me and to be alone. Quite the romantic overture sir, or quite the kidnapping. I also know what's in your wallet, so rest assured your money is safe." She said with a quick wink.

"Romantic certainly," he smiled, and then turned a little more serious, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something important, but first I wanted to give this to you." Walking over to his pack he bent over to pull out the circlet he made earlier. "Here this is for you."

"Wow, this is amazing! Did you make this?" She gasped. The circlet was simple, yet the white and pink petals were interwoven into the stalks in a way that made it look as beautiful and regal as a princess' tiara.

"I just made it today as I waited for you. There is a small spell on it that will keep the petals fresh for several years; it is also as strong as metal so no need for special care, at least beyond your other pieces of jewelry."

He turned his head to the side slightly, carefully considering how to say what he wanted to next. "Also the spell has a secondary affect, if you want it to."

"What is that?" She asked, looking up to meet his eyes.

"It allows for you to…well… not read the mind but more of the emotions or impressions of someone with a similarly enchanted item." He said, looking self-conscious now that he got the words out. "See, druids don't have marriages the same way as everyone else. Actually couples like my parents are fairly uncommon."

"So for those who do want to stay together enchanting natural jewelry with this spell will tie them together and to the land they watch. And I know trust has been a problem in the past for you, and I understand, so I wouldn't be hurt if this isn't what you wanted. Without activating a second piece of jewelry the spell on the circlet will simply keep the flowers fresh." He finished, clamping his mouth shut as if biting off the words, stuck between wanting to explain and letting his nervousness carry him away.

"Oh…well…" She started, staring down at her hands holding the tiara between them. Her cheeks began to warm up as she thought about what he was saying. "I expected you to do something like this tonight. It's still a surprise when it happens though." She told him with a small smile. "So what should I say if I… wanted… to accept," she finished haltingly.

"So…you do accept?" He asked a little incredulously.

"Yes Silas! Don't be a turd about this," she said tiredly, mostly to hide her own nervousness now.

He chuckled and grinned like a fool as he reached into the component pouch on the back of his belt to pull out a ring. The ring was made of a dark wood with a flowing two strand braid carved into it.

Taking the ring in one hand he reached out to hold her hands, enveloping them and holding onto the tiara at the same time. Then he quietly spoke some unfamiliar words in magic as a glow emerged from their hands. The glow continued to grow until it filled the air between them, connecting them in its warmth.

"Well it's nothing writ or formal. So how about this; Caoihme, I love you. You're smart, quick, and witty. You never let anyone get the best of you. You care for your friends. And you're sexy as all hell," he said the last with a wicked smile before taking a deep breath to finish. "I know the future is uncertain and eventually we will change, but I want to be with you through it all; the good and the bad, the highs and lows. Caoihme Skarsgard, I love you and want to be with you always."

"Wow," she said, amazed at the eloquence coming from the normally quiet druid. "That was a lot."

"Well I did have three hours to sit here to ponder what to actually say. You can say whatever you want or even nothing..." He trailed off at the end.

"Give me a moment," she looked down again, collecting her thoughts, trying to figure how to say what she actually felt. All while being put on the spot.

"Silas, I love you too. You're strong and wise. You are the only man who can dish it out as well as I can. You have a depth to you that is hard to fathom. One minute you're a beast, in spirit and body, and the next you're saving someone's life, literally keeping them alive with your hands and your breath sometimes." Now she looked up to meet his eyes, one corner of her lips curling up in a smirk, "and besides, you're not half bad looking for a treeboy. Silas Evergreen, I love you and want to be with you always."

She nodded to indicate she was finished. Silas then leaned in again to brush her lips as the glow from the magic faded. Taking the circlet from her hands he lifted it up to lay it across her brow and tuck her hair behind her ears, causing the obsidian earring she always wore to flash briefly. He then gave her the ring which she then slipped onto his finger.

"Ok so the spell works only if you focus on me and feed the tiara, or other pieces of jewelry that I'll make later for your disguises, a little bit of magic. That way you won't get distracted or confused by stray thoughts when you aren't expecting them." He stood back just a little, letting his hands come to a rest at her waist, as she intertwined her hands behind his neck, playing with his hair a little.

Unwilling to break the magic of the moment he decided to simply look at her; drinking in the beauty of eyes, of her face, and unconsciously, his eyes wondered further south on her body.

"Oh," Caoihme squeaked, beginning to blush furiously, causing Silas to jump in place.

"What's wrong?!"

Still blushing she turned her head, unable to meet his gaze. "Well… you see…ah, how can I say this," she stammered, trying to meet Silas' vibrant green eyes, but failing. "I'll just say it's one thing to get close and kiss and hold you, figuring you're attracted to me, if the bulge in your pants is any indication."

She cleared her throat before pressing on. "It's another thing to know _exactly_ how attracted you are to me at this precise moment; particularly as you continue to stare at my chest."

"Oh…" he said in a small voice before pausing, deep in thought; and then he smiled wickedly. "What happens if I do this?" He asked leaning in, kissing her deeply, passionately; nothing like the chaste brushing of lips that they shared earlier.

This time he activated his ring so he could sense her emotions as she felt his. It felt like a fire raged between as they held each other closely. He could feel the heat of her arousal, which caused his need for her to grow greater, which in turn caused her to grow hotter; soon the fire blazed as their desire for each other grew stronger and stronger, feeding off each other.

Months ago as they started to date, they didn't want to move too quickly into a relationship. They had grown to be close friends over the course of the year and a half of traveling, although it was a rather strange friendship built on the teasing and mocking that characterized their first weeks together.

So they decided to go slow, to get to know each other better before making any big steps; such as being intimate, especially given the lack of privacy that comes from traveling in a group.

Of course that didn't stop them from thoroughly enjoying the moments of privacy they did get; nights occasionally spent at an inn, time spent being "lost" in the wilderness before sleeping, and other such respites of passion. Soon it become a game they would play, how much teasing could the other take before caving in; winner take all. So, here they were six months later, and Silas had had enough, he honestly didn't give a damn who won or lost; so long as he could have her tonight, a sentiment he knew she shared.

The wind began to blow harder through the trees, making the leaves rustle angrily and the branches sway under its force. As the gust died down Silas broke the kiss, causing a reluctant Caoihme to trail after his lips with a slight growl.

"What was that for?" she huffed.

Silas put a finger up to her lips softly, then turned his head and peered into the forest at the edge of clearing, trying to see into its depths. "Something is not right," he whispered, "listen."

Pulling her head back Caoihme turned to look in the opposite direction of Silas, straining her ears for whatever had stolen his attention. After listening for a minute she turned back to him, glaring as he turned to face her. "I don't hear anything!" she said accusingly.

"No, no, I mean _listen_ ," he repeated, raising his hand to tap lightly at the tiara she now wore.

With a look of confusion Caoihme activated the spell within the headband. As she did she became aware of a few things; first was the sense of worry that came from Silas as he continued to hold her in his arms; second, was the fact that he was still very much turned on, although she didn't quite need a spell to know that; lastly, she realized she could now hear voices. These voices didn't quite sound like people, at their peak they were a whisper, and so Caoihme had to close her eyes and strain again to hear what they said.

 _Danger…_

 _Hunger…_

 _Sickness…_

"Silas, what's going on?" she asked starting to get a little worried.

"The trees are passing a warning to us, something is coming and I'm guessing the 'sickness' part means I can't just use spells to distract or befriend whatever comes."

"How, in the world, can I hear the trees?"

"The spell in your circlet also ties us to the land, but it would only work like that here in the Tangles because I'm still tied to this forest. Anywhere else and you'd just be receiving my feelings." He explained. "Come on." He turned and started leading Caoihme to the small ridge of rocks where he had placed his pack and staff along with her cloak.

Before they could go more than a few steps, the howling of several wolves pierced the night air; followed by a pack of large wolves crashing through the trees, rushing into the meadow. The wolves quickly circled the pair by the creek, cutting them off from Silas' bag and weapons.

"Shit!" he said moving to face the biggest wolf in the pack. The alpha wolf stood a good foot larger than the rest, almost as big as a dire wolf in its own right, and was flanked by three other wolves. Caoihme stood back-to-back with Silas, facing the other four wolves. The snarling animals spread out into a nearly complete circle, barking and snapping their jaws as they began to stalk forward slowly.

Caoihme could hear Silas speaking under his breath, most likely casting a spell she thought as she took a deep breath to start her own spell. Focusing inward she could actually feel the font of magic within her, a blessing and a curse from her birth. She never quite knew how to explain to others how her magic worked. To put it simply; it just worked.

As a child her magic would flare with random effect and no focus or target. By the time she was a young teen she could control, or at least delay, most spells from the unexpected flares. From then on she strove for mastery of her powers; finally begin able to cast cantrips and the most basic spells by the time she turned sixteen.

Which was also about the time she began to learn the art of deception and conning. In all her years of practice, and minimal teaching, she has mastered a handful of spells most of which seemed to be manifestations of her emotions and needs.

Casting a cantrip like _Ray of Frost_ or _True Strike_ felt like dipping a cup into the pool of magic within her; small, manageable, and easily thrown about. Using a spell like _Chromatic Orb_ or _Scorching Rays_ felt like hauling out buckets from the pool by hand, doable but tiring and requiring a lot of focus.

Then there were times she thought she could jump into the pool and become swallowed in the magic, it was at those times that she would be in full control of her magic, sometimes with spectacular side effects; but whenever she did so she ran the risk of having a flare up later, which could be disastrous.

Being surrounded, unarmed, and facing two to eight odds seemed like a good time to reach for every advantage she could get. Summoning her strength Caoihme held out her left palm feeling it grow colder as an orb of frosty blue light emerged above it; her right hand was clutched as five iridescent spheres began to grow, each starting out as a pinprick of light then growing to the size of a marble. She decided to forgo defense in the hope that she and Silas could put down the wolves before their numbers become a problem.

She held the spells in wait, seeing if Silas had any plans. Glancing over her shoulder she could see Silas' skin had grown rough and dry, like it was made of bark. "I knew you were growing hard Silas, I just thought it was from getting to see me," she said unable to hold in the joke.

"You know it baby, I just thought I could use a little help." He quipped before starting up another spell. As he finished a flame appeared in his hand, which he grabbed and then swung his arm out to the side causing the flame to extend and gather into the shape of a scimitar.

Now he glanced back over his shoulder, looking into the white glow of Caoihme's eyes; he also saw the falling embers that came from the obsidian earring she used as a magical focus, indicating she had spells ready. "Okay," he said quietly, "the best chance we have is to take them out as fast as we can. And watch out for the big one, I'll do all I can to keep his attention on me. Ready?"

"Ready," she said taking another deep breath, this time trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. They had been in worse situations with the group, and even together, she reminded herself; but there was something alarming about being circled in by beasts that you couldn't talk to or reason with.

Letting out the breath, Caoihme raised her left arm and threw the blue orb at the wolf farthest to her left, which stood in the shallows of the creek. The ball of ice connected with the wolf, striking it square in the chest, causing the ball to burst in an explosion of ice and snow, freezing the wolf and the water beneath its feet.

With one down she turned her attention to the remaining three. The wolf closest to its frozen brother shied away from the sorceress, its ears bent back, flat against its head as it cowered; while the others leapt towards her. Trying to catch them early, Caoihme simply opened her right hand in their direction, freeing the caged spheres. Each of the spheres shot forward as a gleaming dart of magic.

Three went for the closest wolf, two sinking into its chest with the third hitting its side, causing it to cry out and stumble to the ground and become still. The two remaining darts sought the other wolf striking it mid-leap, but the darts were unable to move the beast which collided with Caoihme causing her to fall to the ground; they tumbled together for a few feet before Caoihme was able to push the wolf off of her.

Looking around she saw that Silas was able to get the other wolves to follow him away from the creek as he ducked, dodged, and swiped with his flaming scimitar; she also got to see the wolf left by the creek charging at her, apparently having regained its nerve to attack. Checking back on the wolf behind her, she saw that it was struggling to get up with two injured legs.

Gathering her legs beneath her, Caoihme turned back to face the charging wolf, figuring she had one good chance to make her play.

Once the snarling wolf got close, it jumped; jaws wide open as it aimed to tackle the woman and rip out her throat. When she saw it jump into the air she lunged to the right doing her best to roll smoothly out of its way, which she mostly succeed in doing; she wasn't the most dexterous in the group. The wolf turned its head trying to follow her movement, but as it landed it couldn't stop or turn itself away from hitting the struggling wolf, which just stood up, and they both collided and tumbled farther away.

Caoihme quickly tapped into her magic again, not bothering to stand up, hoping to catch the wolves close together. Holding her hands in front of herself, she focused on the magic's flow as a green orb appeared between her hands. As the orb solidified into a ball she pushed her hands out towards the wolves, causing the orb to fly forward and strike them, covering both in the green goo. As the wolves began to smoke and sizzle from the acid on them, Caoihme stood up cautiously and cast her eyes about looking for where Silas and the other wolves had gone.

Silas had been successful in drawing his wolves away from Caoihme. He didn't want to leave her to fight alone but the only way to prevent them from being completely surrounded was to try and stretch the wolves out. He did this by walking toward the wolves at first, encouraging them to attack him; he would then dodge them or even take the hit, trusting his bark-like skin to turn their teeth and claws aside.

After drawing them away for a minute he started striking back, of course Silas was much more practiced with his staff which meant he was merely passable with the scimitar; a fact he vowed to correct after tonight. His first few attempts failed as the fire in his hands passed over the wolves harmlessly; but he started connecting as he got into the rhythm of doing more than just dodging. Silas swung out with his sword level to his chest as he sidestepped out of the way, catching his first wolf with a cut that went from head to tail.

The body crashed into the ground as Silas continued turning, coming about to face the other two wolves. He only had a moment to catch his breath before they decided to attack him at the same time, both running and then lunging forward. Silas took an extra wide stance, praying that his spell would persist to hold their teeth at bay; with the two wolves coming at him he decided to take a gamble.

One wolf was just in front of the other, at this one Silas thrust forward with his sword, shoving the flaming blade down its throat, while pulling his other hand back. For the second wolf he punched forward, striking it across the jaw with a loud crack as its head spun abruptly to the side. Afterwards Silas' hand began to throb in pain, most likely broken now.

Stepping back from the fallen remains Silas turned around looking for Caoihme, something tugging at the edge of his mind as he turned.

He saw her down the field a short ways, back by the creek where they had started. He activated the ring to get a feeling for how she was faring; she was worried but turned excited as they both saw the seven dead wolves across the ground between and around them. That was when Silas' heart seized in panic; there were eight wolves, where is the alpha?

Caoihme had also activated her tiara, gathering much of the same feelings from Silas as he got from her; until she heard the pounding steps behind her. Spinning around she saw the large wolf jump at her, having just enough time to bring her arms up in front of her face, she was barely strong enough to keep the barking beast from ripping her face off.

The wolf's pounce pushed her over, and it scratched her chest as it landed. Once she was on the ground it clamped down on her arm and started dragging her backward, drawing a scream from her lips.

"CAOIHME!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, sprinting towards them some fifty feet away; his _Barkskin_ and _Flaming Sword_ fell away as his concentration was shattered. His vision began to blur and darken as he watched the large wolf drag her farther and farther away from him.

Without thinking he started to shift, crouching down to run on all fours, the bones of his body shifting, cracking and remolding; his hand healed itself as it turned into a massive paw. In the blink of an eye he was a dire wolf, growling and barking as he charged into the wolf that held his future.

The two giant wolves collided with a crash; Caoihme distinctly heard the snapping of bones as the two tumbled away. She quickly got up, hissing through clenched teeth, and scooted herself back, away from the dueling beasts; coming to rest against a boulder beside the creek. She cradled her arm to her side trying to keep it clean and safe until Silas could heal her.

Through the connection in the circlet she could feel nothing but blind rage coming from him; so much that she began to worry for more than just his physical safety. The feral wolf sprung up to its feet, favoring its hind right leg, but otherwise hale. Silas on the other hand struggled to stand, his left shoulder looking crumbled in on itself, a forepaw broken and bent backward, along with several cuts down his side, preventing him from getting up easily.

Straining with another attempt, he stood on shaky feet, still coming up a full head taller than the other wolf. Tilting his head back, he let loose a howl, full of rage and anger; calling a challenge to the other wolf. As they began to circle each other Silas taped into the magic around him, causing his foot and shoulder to heal themselves again, both straightening out with slight pops; enabling him to lunge at his prey.

Again they clashed, scratching, biting, and tackling each other, becoming nothing more than a snarling ball of teeth, claws, and fur; until after a few harrowing minutes Silas stood atop the feral wolf and with a shake of his massive head tore out its throat.

After which he threw back his head released another bone-chilling howl up to the moon. He panted as he remained standing there, trying to catch his breath and rein in the anger he still felt inside.

It was hard for Silas to shift in and out of forms quickly. Inside, he was still himself, still Silas; but every time he shape shifted he released the beast within himself, and sometimes that beast was hard to quell. So he remained motionless waiting for the storm inside to still, the last thing he wanted to do would be to accidently scare, or worse hurt, Caoihme.

He was still enough of himself to know that thankfully.

Caoihme quietly and slowly pushed off the rock against which she sat, her arm definitely still hurting from the bite, but she knew Silas needed her. So she took a steadying breath, steeling herself before she walked over to him, holding her right arm tightly to her side to keep from tearing the wounds any wider.

She could still feel anger within him; despite killing the last wolf and getting revenge for being attacked he was still lost in the form of a beast. She slowly walked up to him, remembering the last time he lost himself, and she hoped that what worked back then would work again. The massive wolf stiffened as she approached him, turning his body away but keeping an eye on her as she got close.

The eyes she stared into were not human, which was out of place; whenever Silas shape shifted there was still a spark of humanity in those cunning green eyes, but now they were dark and dull, lacking a depth they usually possessed.

He began to growl at her as she got closer, so she stopped, extending her hands, palms facing forward. Cautiously he sniffed her hands, nose twitching as he growled, still unwilling to change.

He didn't seem to be hostile toward her; she could still feel him through their link and knew that he still knew her, so she stepped closer.

Caoihme knelt down in front of the enormous grey haired wolf, his eyes a few inches above her own now, and she calmly petted the side of his head. Speaking softly she tried to reach the man she loved within, "Hey treeboy, I need you to come back to me now. I know it's hard with that much anger in you but you can come back now, we're safe now, and I need you; I'm hurt and I need you."

She sniffled; this was not as easy as it was last time. Inching closer she hugged around his neck, fighting back the tears that threatened to break loose. Now that the danger was past everything came crashing down as it usually does after a fight. The danger was gone, everybody was okay, and now that the adrenaline left her system she was shaky and tired, and to top it off Silas was still fighting.

Only this time the enemy was himself.

He once tried to explain what was happening to him; all druids who shape shifted without a strong tie to their human side: be it duty, a loved one, or even the land they guarded, ran the risk of getting lost as the beast inside took over. He confided in Caoihme that it was one of his greatest fears, although he had a strong sense of duty and self, he still worried that one day he could lose himself forever.

It happened to a lot druid's as they got older, sometimes they just forgot who they really were. Those that followed the Circle of the Land often became trees or some other plant. Druids in the Circle of the Moon typically became beast, albeit smarter and stronger than average beasts. They all still fulfilled the duty to the land and the forests, they just took different forms as they lost themselves.

It had happened only once before in the time they have been traveling together. Back then he was growling and snapping at everyone until Caoihme had approached him, and once he recognized her and the others in the group as friends he came back to them.

And now Caoihme sat there, pleading with him, clutching tightly to his fur; holding onto him as though she could simply pull him back to her. Her arm hurt terribly, but she held on, despite the pain and the blood that continued to stain her shirt. She couldn't let go, she worried that if she did she would lose him.

Silas' breathing eventually slowed as he calmed down and his eyes finally came into focus. As he became more aware of his surroundings he smelled copper and salt; blood and tears, the scents were all around as he turned his head. He felt a weight hanging from his neck, looking down he saw Caoihme kneeling before him, crying softly as she clutched his hair. Caoihme was hurt and she needed him.

She needed him.

Having regained his senses he shifted back into a human, grimacing as his bones shifted into their original form; the only reprieve from the pain of shape shifting was its brevity. Then he reached up to hug her back with his right arm, and nuzzling his face to her neck he said softly, "Thank you Caoihme. I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's ok Silas, you're here now," she replied reaching up with her left hand to touch his cheek; the night now feeling cold without the horse-sized wolf next to her.

"Still," he insisted, eyes full of sorrow as he looked up to face her. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

Silas picked her up, holding onto her legs and back as he carried her over to his pack, trying to avoid hurting her right arm. Gently setting her down, he knelt next to her and prepared to heal her scratches and bite wounds. "Can you hold your arm out for me?" he asked.

She nodded and then grimaced as she lifted her arm, the bite marks visible along her bicep, still seeping blood. He frowned at the sight of black on white as her blood covered her skin and shirt. "I'm sorry I didn't stop him from getting to you," he whispered.

"It's ok," she smiled as the spell healed the wound, taking the pain away, "I'm almost more upset about my shirt being ruined."

Looking down they both took notice of the long rents in the front of her shirt, the scratches along her chest and stomach weren't deep but they still bled, spotting her shirt with more black; not to mention all the dirt and grass on it from being dragged along the ground.

Silas moved on to healing her chest, which still drew a slight blush to their faces. "Don't worry about your shirt, we can fix that," he said.

"Well sure we can cast Mending to repair it but that does nothing for the stains," she scoffed, "and it was such a nice shirt too."

"Don't worry about that," he said with a wink, "I can make it good as new."

"That's very cute but not terribly reassuring."

He faked a gasp, "Are you saying you don't trust me?!"

"Not as far as I can throw you treeboy."

"Well no matter, I'll fix it anyway. Just sit back and watch demon child."

And so she sat there, rotating her arm to stretch out the stiffness that came from the accelerated healing. First, Silas worked on repairing the damage done to her shirt, cracking his knuckles and making a show of casting the basic spell as he summoned a white light in his hand, which he then passed over the tears and holes, watching as the fibers knit themselves back together.

"Okay, this next part might feel funny," he warned. Then the white light expanded from his hands covering Caoihme and himself. True to his word the light tickled, causing her to start giggling, and it probably would have made her outright laugh if it hadn't ended so quickly.

"What in the world was that?" she asked, as she lifted arms and turned back and forth looking over her shirt and pants, surprised to see the stains gone.

"That was a very, very old priests' spell my father taught me," he answered as he brushed off his sleeves needlessly, looking quite full of himself. "They used it long ago to clean themselves and their clothes before going to the temple or saying their prayers and what not."

Although he acted casual, Silas was still nervous deep down; worried about the near miss he just experienced. If it wasn't for Caoihme…he actually didn't want to think what would have happened without her here.

"Speaking of spells," she continued in a conspiratory tone, trying to stop him from dwelling, "you seem to be throwing a lot of magic around tonight. First the tiara, then all the healing and shape shifting and fighting spells; two of which I know for a fact require your full attention to maintain, and you held them _at the same time._ You seem to be hiding a lot of power inside yourself mister." She finished pointing a finger in his face and wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"Oh that…well that's because of where we are," he began to chuckle, holding his arms out to indicate the woods around them.

He continued when she tilted her head to the side, not fully understanding. "I'm tied to this forest, and so my spells and powers are typically stronger and come more easily to me. So much easier that I could probably cast twice my usual number per day, maybe. And concentration isn't as much of a problem either, although unless we were in extreme danger again I probably wouldn't have the…motivation to maintain the spells for long. So yeah take note; you never want to get in a fight with a druid in his forest."

"Apparently, and you're not even the druid in charge here."

He responded by sticking out his tongue, then he dug around in his pack before pulling out a blanket. After spreading out the blanket between the rocks and creek, he offered Caoihme his hand to help her up and then back down onto the blanket.

"Ohhh, what's this for?" she asked innocently, the ploy not working on Silas who smiled but also gave her an incredulous look.

"You sit here for a minute," he answered, taking a moment to stroke her cheek as he stood, "I'm going to clean up the mess from the fight."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Just watch."

Walking down to the creek he stopped back where they were first ambushed. Having a chance to survey the meadow he saw the neat, concise work they were able to accomplish. One wolf frozen solid surrounded by a ring of ice, two others partially melted along with the grass around them; that caused him to wince in sympathy, getting hit with acid sucked. The rest were strewn across the field from his and Caoihme's running, all either stabbed or slashed by magical weapons; except the large wolf in the middle laying in a pool of blood.

It saddens him whenever he has to fight animals but it was necessary, and now he just hoped he could salvage this night. Sitting down he crossed his legs and then leaned forward to place his hands down on the earth in front of him, allowing him to communicate with the forest.

Meanwhile Caoihme got comfortable by pulling off her boots and then sat with her legs pulled up to her, leaning her head down to rest against her knees as she watched whatever Silas was going to do. At first nothing happened, which she was about to comment on until she heard a shuffling, grinding sound coming from the field where Silas sat. It wasn't a loud sound, barely audible over the gentle waterfall near her, but it was persistent.

As she focused on the sound she began to see movement, the moon was still up in the sky lending great visibility, and then the bodies of the wolves started to sink into the ground slowly. After a minute the all the bodies, blood, and even the burned patches of grass were gone; if she wasn't here for the fight she would have sworn that it never happened, not a trace of it remained.

Standing up Silas brushed off his pants and returned to Caoihme's side, making sure to pull off his boots and set them beside the blanket along with hers. Lying down beside her he reached out to grab her hand. "Are you ok?" he asked, softly drawing circles on the back of her hand.

"Yeah I'm just fine."

"I'm sorry about the night being ruined."

"Well it's not like you planned on being attacked by a pack of ravenous wolves. You didn't, did you?"

"No, I would never do something like that! Why would anyone?"

"You know the whole 'we just had a near death experience we barely survived so let's have sex' thing that men do to get laid sometimes; usually it's more planned and less real though."

He stared at her blankly for a second, "Yeah I didn't know that was a thing, you're aware of my…," he cleared his throat as his cheeks redden, "lack of experience in that area," he finished.

"Oh I definitely remember," she laughed, reaching down to touch his cheek. The first few times they had tried to make out his 'inexperience' had become apparent, some things are instinctual when it comes to relationships and making love, others it takes time and practice to learn what feels good and what doesn't, to find out what works and what doesn't.

Caoihme, as the more knowledgeable of the two, became his coach; showing him what to do and guiding him, and his hands, in what felt good to her, as well as sharing some surprises for him in the their time alone.

It seemed it was time to teach him again. Grinning she leaned in to kiss him as she pushed him over to lay on his back. Once he was down she straddled him, settling herself over his hips where she could feel his readiness.

"Let me tell you about near death experiences as turn-ons," she said in a sultry voice. She leaned in, lying across his body, feeling his powerful frame beneath her, slowly shifting her hips up and down as she got next to his ear and whispered, "they work."

Neither of them needed to read minds to know what would happen next.

Kissing passionately they began to rip each others' clothes off. First came the leather jerkin he wore, its buckles annoying in their refusal to be undone quickly causing Caoihme to growl in annoyance; Silas then helped by removing them with a practiced hand. Then he turned his attention to her shirt, the soft, white fabric yielding away as he popped each button loose; exposing her beautiful, white skin as well as the deep red brassiere she wore that matched her nails and lips.

After the shirts came off he pushed the ground behind himself and sat up to continue kissing her down her neck and shoulder, trying to get lower. She reached back to unclasp the confining garment from across her chest, exposing her supple breasts to the moonlight and Silas' adorations. Soon neither of them had any clothing save for her tiara and earring and his ring.

Laying back down, Silas gazed up at Caoihme letting his hands rest on her waist, drinking in her beauty in the soft light; her white eyes standing out with her midnight black hair partially shrouding her face as she returned his gaze.

"What is it?" she asked, as the breeze brushed her hair back and forth, causing goosebumps to raise across her arms and back at its caress.

"Nothing," he smiled. "I'm just enjoying the view from here," he continued with a wiggle of his eyebrows as he inched his hands up her waist to give her breasts a playful squeeze.

"Ass!" she called out, smacking him across the shoulder as she covered herself with her other arm.

"Now now, there is no need for that," he countered, grabbing the hand that hit him and then bringing it to his lips he proceeded to kiss her palm and wrist.

Letting her arm back down she decided it was time, "Are you ready? I mean are you sure this is what you want?" she asked.

"More than anything in the world."

"Good," she said with a fiendish smile as she felt him quiver against her thigh with anticipation. She picked up her hips and then carefully and with almost agonizingly slowness she slid down the length of his member. Silas gasped at the sensation; the tightness and the heat he felt was better then he could ever imagine.

Looking down Caoihme smiled at his shocked expression, "Just you wait treeboy, I'm about to rock your world." And so she did, for the next few hours the meadow in the middle of the forest was filled with nothing but moonlight and the cries from the couple in love.

* * *

The light from the coming dawn caused Caoihme to stir. She felt the cold, hard ground through the thin blanket she was lying on; but she actually felt warm. Another blanket was on top of her, as well as an arm draped over her shoulder and chest, enclosing her with the warmth from Silas' naked body as it pressed against her back.

She smiled and stifled a giggle as she turned to look around. It seems that even after a night full of passionate sex; Silas still couldn't get enough of her and he had, _probably_ unconsciously, gotten handsy in his sleep. She gently lifted his arm and dislodged his hand from her boob so she could scoot up into a sitting position.

He began to mumble something, but then subsided and went back to sleep, tucking his head against her hip which is where her head used to be.

She smiled again and reached down to stroke his hair away from his face, she enjoyed watching him sleep; it was when he looked most peaceful, except while looking into her eyes but she could never hold his gaze for long, so sleep is when she got to look.

As she sat there she got an idea, a prank she could try on him, it probably wouldn't work but it would be fun to try.

She cast a spell, the glowing embers from her earring slowly drifting in the breeze and then merely sat, stroking his hair as she waited for him to wake up.

He began to come around when he felt someone touching his head, as well as feeling cold. Silas took a deep breath before opening his eyes. He smelled flowers and spice, coming from that perfume that Caoihme wore, as well as sweat and something else that always just seemed like...her.

He smiled, remembering what happened last night, remembering the feeling of finally being inside her, watching her bounce atop him as he thrusted up, and watching her breasts heave as they laid together, both panting and sweating from the exertion.

He opened his eyes and saw the lightly tanned hip he was tucked into; that wasn't right, Caoihme's skin was pale, extremely so.

As this realization hit, he sat up, eyes following the shapely, tan leg down and then back up to the curves of the woman's waist and swelling breasts; which seemed a little too big, and finally met the face of the woman he spent the night with.

She had beautiful strawberry blonde hair that fell to her waist, bright green eyes that shined with a sinful mirth, and large pouting lips, the likes that men would kill to taste.

As he stared she started to speak with a voice that was dark and smooth, like sap running down the bark of a tree, "Hey there handsome, did you sleep well?" she smiled, eyes glinting with mischievousness, a look that Caoihme always gave him when she tried to fool him.

"Nice try Caoihme, I know it's you," he smiled back, poking her in the stomach, "you can drop the spell now."

"Oh boo, I knew it was a long shot, but what gave it away?" she asked as the spell dropped, leaving the normal, beautiful Caoihme in the stranger's place.

"The look in your eyes after you spoke was a dead giveaway." He leaned over her, almost pinning her to the rock she sat against, and then he got his face close to hers and whispered in her ear, "You also forgot to mask your scent," he smirked as he leaned back.

Caoihme's cheeks suddenly became a very dark shade of grey; considering how she must have smelled after several bouts was crazy, wild sex, which was followed by sleeping on the ground.

Still, she felt wonderful; sex had been good before, always a great pastime, if the guy was right, but last night had been phenomenal. She couldn't place her finger on it exactly, but it most certainly had to do with that great, kind, if a little clumsy, man sitting across from her.

"I'm talking about your perfume love," he said pulling her out of her reverie, "I can still smell it on you."

"Oh…ok, good," she said in a small voice, uncurling from the ball that she had unknowingly pulled herself into in embarrassment.

"Well, mostly your perfume," he smirked.

"You ass!" she shouted into the quiet morning, backhanding his shoulder with a loud smack. Causing him to raise his arms in surrender, or to defend himself if she continued attacking.

"Come on, let's get cleaned up." He offered his hand and helped her up, both of them blushing at their nudity in the light of day. Still holding her hand, he picked up the soap and some washcloths from his bag and led her to the creek.

Its clear water was icy at first, causing Caoihme to screech and shiver until Silas, who had waded in, pulled her into him holding her in a warm embrace. They both smiled as the stared into each others' eyes, enjoying the conflicting feelings of warm bodies and cold, waist high water.

After holding her for a moment, Silas grinned as he spun her around and pushed her into the waterfall.

She began to scream as she stood under the water, but nothing came out of her mouth, the cold having stolen her breath.

"What the hell was that for!" she yelled at him, her naked, wet body shaking from the cold water and her anger at being tricked.

"You weren't going to get into the water without some help, so I helped. Plus this way you're used the cold already."

"Oh I'll give cold you asshole," she said, raising her hand she summoned an orb of ice and prepared to throw.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he shouted, sticking an arm out to block his chest, his other going beneath the water's surface to protect a more…tender area in case she tried to freeze the water around him. "Come on Caoihme; let's just enjoy a nice bath together shall we?"

She kept the spell up for a moment, considering his offer. "Fine," she relented and lowered her arm, turning back to face the waterfall.

As Silas stepped closer though, she tossed the ball over her shoulder, causing it to land just behind him turning the water into ice instantly and then the wave of cold practically bit him in the ass. He shouted in surprise from the unanticipated attack.

"Now we're even," she said primly.

Together they bathed, and then dried off on the shore of the creek. Then they helped each other get dressed; sharing soft, lingering touches and kisses whenever the chance presented itself.

Eventually they were ready to leave. Silas had Caoihme's cloak draped over his arm, which he then settled back across her shoulders and clasped it while giving a soft kiss on her lips.

"So what happens now?" she asked tentatively.

"Well I figure nothing different from before, love. We continue being friends. We try not to rub our relationship in anyone's faces. And we continue to try and save the world. The only change is what we do with our private time," he finished with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

She smiled, "Ok I think that's a good idea."

"Good, me too," he smiled back.

Then they walked hand in hand out of their meadow, into the forest and back to the world and its duties. But they would always have their meadow and its moonlit wonders in their hearts and minds, and they will always have each other.

* * *

 **AN: Time for some clarification of two of the player races in this world my friends and I play in.**

 **Narek, the man-cat from the flashback, is basically a Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls series.**

 **Caoihme is a Mordrin, race that fills the role of the Tielfing, also of demonic descent they are often mistrusted and hated around the world. Most find a good life in many of the nations across the land after they establish themselves and their families, but sometimes they still face persecution. They all have extremely pale skin, black hair, and white irises. They also have black blood instead of red, hence Caoihme cheeks turn grey when she blushes.**


End file.
